Clean coal technology made in... China? Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/28/2008 02:35:00 PM

The U.S. is not the only player involved in pushing the envelop on advanced clean coal technologies to capture and store carbon.

China is involved in a project like the FutureGen project here in the U.S., a public-private partnership to build a near zero-emissions coal-fueled power plant.

(Click here for the latest on FutureGen's status.)

The Chinese project — known as GreenGen — is larger in scale then the proposed FutureGen project, and it promises to show continued progress on advancing technologies that will ensure that coal remains a viable energy option for meeting growing energy demand even as we move to enact measures to reduce greenhous gas emissions.

As we've learned, there is no word in the Chineese language for NIMBY (not in my backyard), so I suspect that it will be full-speed ahead for the GreenGen project. That said, I'm hopeful that as a country, we move aggressively in achieving the goal set by the incoming Obama administration to have at least five full commercial-scale carbon capture and storage projects deployed in the U.S. over the next several years.

If we fail to do that, the technologies that we use here at home to capture and store CO2 could come with a "made in China" logo. While I'm pleased to see that China is taking such a strong leadership position, it would be a shame to see us miss out on the opportunity to export U.S. developed technologies abroad.

See below as Fred Palmer, senior vice president at Peabody Energy, discusses the plans for GreenGen:

Clean coal technology to the economic rescue Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/25/2008 04:24:00 PM

Coal has long been an economic boon for our nation, and with constantly evolving clean coal technologies, it will continue to play a vital role.

With the right investments in clean coal technology, the United States would have an opportunity to capture a growing share of the export market for coal-based fuel products that enhance efficiency and environmental performance to countries around the world.

After all, global demand for power generating technologies and services is anticipated to create a $480 billion export market over the next three decades and support more than 600,000 jobs in the U.S. power-equipment industry.

These jobs are getting greener every day. In fact, there is over $6 billion in clean coal research underway right now in 41 states — even ones not normally associated with coal production.

Click here to find a clean coal technology project near you.

Railroads are America's energy pipeline Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/24/2008 03:10:00 AM

It is hard to think about America's freight railroad industry as an energy pipeline — but in fact that is partly what it is.

In addition to carrying millions of tons of frieght each year, America's railroads are also responsible for carrying coal from the mines to the power plants.

And they do it efficiently and safely.

Jim Young, chairman of the board with Union Pacific Corporation recently had a chance to tell us about the rail industry's role in meeting America's future energy needs.

Take a look for yourself:

Clean energy shouldn’t be all or nothing, says MIT professor Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/24/2008 02:58:00 AM

When it comes to reducing emissions from coal-fired plants, we can’t allow perfect be the enemy of the good.

Howard Herzog, a professor at MIT, echoed the same sentiment during a panel discussion at the International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies in D.C. yesterday.

Said Herzog: “By insisting on the perfect thing, we’re creating the worst thing, which is a stalemate. It doesn’t have to be full [carbon] capture versus no capture.”

From the ClimateWire report:

In their soon-to-be-published research, Herzog and fellow panelist Ashleigh Hildebrand, a graduate student in chemical engineering at MIT, found that grabbing 45 to 65 percent of carbon dioxide from a coal generator, as opposed to the often-proposed 85 to 90 percent, would provide an incentive for investors to get moving on the technology while achieving emissions parity with natural gas.”

The fact is, we'll need to find policies that allow us to meet growing energy demand while reducing emissions from our chief source of baseload power, we should support it.

We agree — an all-or-nothing mentality will get us nowhere.

No matter what you've heard, FutureGen is alive Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/21/2008 02:57:40 PM

Recently, we had the chance to chat with Fred Palmer, senior vice president at Peabody Energy

We talked about the status of a project slated for Matoon, Ill., called FutureGen — a public-private partnership to build the world's first near zero-emissions coal-fueled power plant. (Peabody is one of the founding members of the FutureGen Alliance).

In the video below, you'll hear him say "FutureGen is alive."

He adds, "We'll make a concerted effort in the Obama administration to reinstate the project and get this built as originally planned."

We share Fred's cautious optimism that this important project will get back on track early next year, given the commitments made by Barack Obama — both in terms of this project specifically and in support of the deployment of a number of large-scale commercial carbon capture and storage projects.

Watch the whole video for yourself.

Our Beef with Brian Williams Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/20/2008 09:10:37 AM

Okay, it's not really a beef. We just need to clear something up.

This week, NBC Nightly News aired a report on coal, which examined coal-based electricity and its ability to burn cleanly.

Anchorman Brian Williams began the report by calling clean coal “an oxymoron,” failing to acknowledge the suite of technologies that have been developed over the last 30 years to remove harmful emissions from coal-based power plants. 

These technologies have already made coal a cleaner energy resource—overall our plants are 70 percent cleaner today than they were in the 1970s based on regulated emissions per unit of energy produced. And with new advances in technology, we’re looking at a future in which coal will meet America’s growing electricity needs with little to no emissions of the pollutants regulated by federal and state clean air laws.

However, the NBC team redeemed themselves a bit by traveling to Germany to profile the country’s $100 million pilot carbon capture and sequestration plant, which eliminates 95 percent of carbon dioxide from power plant emissions and buries them underground.

NBC also noted the lack of U.S. funding for pilot plants here in America, cutting to a researcher from the MIT Energy Initiative who said, “I believe we have really no time to waste in pursuing a whole set of low-carbon technology options.”

In the end, NBC showed America that carbon capture and sequestration is not only possible, but necessary in order to utilize our most abundant, affordable energy source, and that it’s time to support the funding of the next generation of clean coal technologies.

Will Detroit's cash crisis kill the electric car? Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/20/2008 06:12:00 AM

That’s what one headline was asking this week. I hope the answer is “no!”

As you know, we’re big fans of electric cars.

We’d love to see a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt on the road as soon as possible.

Why?

Because the energy these cars run on will have to come from somewhere – and if it is plugged in, odds in this country (and many others) are good that the electricity charging them will be coal generated – greatly increasing America’s energy security.

If that electricity can be produced utilizing carbon capture and sequestration technology, we can also greatly reduce the greenhouse gases that are currently being released into the atmosphere by every car on the highway without increasing emissions in the utilities sector.

That’s the definition of a win-win situation.

According to the article, GM is protecting its investment in electric cars like the Chevy Volt even as it cuts funds elsewhere.

Let’s hope that is true, because plug-in electric vehicles may not only be the future of the auto industry, they could mean a brighter future for all of us.

Chamber of Commerce Recommends Sweeping Energy Agenda Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/19/2008 09:53:50 AM

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is urging President-Elect Obama to instantiate an “executive-level office to help expand domestic oil and gas production while aggressively promoting energy conservation and development of cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels.”

Specifically, the agenda calls for the president-elect and the 111th Congress to, within the first 100 days, establish a fund managed by fossil fuel-based utilities for the R&D and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies at private, academic and government sites. The recommendation also calls on Congress to “commit to doubling research and development funding over five years for renewable energy technologies, as well as clean coal energy.”

We agree!  We can create jobs, become more energy independent, keep energy costs affordable for consumers, and respond to climate change concerns.  The key is investing in all of our domestic energy resources … including clean coal. 

Take a look for yourself and let us know what you think.

Future Looks Bright for New Coal Plants Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/19/2008 09:51:02 AM

Given the recent media attention on last week’s Utah ruling, you might be confused about the future of coal in America. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the skinny:

Responding to a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club over plans to construct a new power plant in Utah, the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider whether to require carbon dioxide (CO2) best-available control technology (BACT) limits on new power plants.

However, in its ruling, the EAB did not hold that CO2 must be subject to regulation.

So what’s this all mean?   

First, it means that new power plants will still be able to receive permits for construction, which is critical to meeting America’s growing energy demand and adhering to more stringent emissions standards.

The Utah decision also underscores how difficult it is to site new electric generators these days, due in large part to the uncertainty about how to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, the EAB expressed a clear preference that CO2 regulation should be addressed via nationwide legislation rather than in the context of permit proceedings for individual facilities (on a case by case basis).

We supported mandatory federal carbon management legislation that protects U.S. energy security, promotes the creation of jobs and keeps energy costs affordable for Americans.

Another thing to remember is that the Utah decision came into play only because it was proposed on federal/tribal land. Most other plants require approval from state environmental permitting agencies, not the U.S. EPA. As a result, this decision does not affect most of the plants currently in the permitting phase.

 Stay tuned to Behind the Plug for more updates.

Exclusive conversation with CNN expert Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/12/2008 11:35:34 PM

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider, named one of the 50 most influential Washington journalists by Washingtonian Magazine, is among the best at breaking down polls and offering historical perspective.

In an exclusive conversation with Behind The Plug, Schneider talked with us about the important role that coal played in the battleground states in the 2008 presidential campaign. (Most swing states rely heavily on coal.)

Here's a snippet of our conversation:

Thoughts on rebuilding America's economy Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/10/2008 04:34:00 PM

Earlier today, the New America Foundation held a panel discussion on rebuilding the economy, featuring speakers such as National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler and Ethan Zindler, head of North American research at New Energy Finance.

It was a provocative discussion. In particular, I was interested by something Zindler mentioned. His firm’s research came to the following conclusion:

“Energy independence and job creation took precedence over climate change on the campaign trail.”

From our perspective, energy security and job creation and addressing climate change concerns are not mutually exclusive.

Deploying advanced technologies will create jobs here at home, and at the same time ensure that America does not become more reliant on foreign energy resources and consumers are left paying higher energy costs. 

One Blog, Three Easy Ways to Read Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/10/2008 03:50:02 PM

Did you know there three ways to read Behind the Plug? You can:

1. Bookmark the site and check back daily
2. Sign up to receive updates via email
3. Grab our RSS feed and let your feed reader do the work for you

If you choose to receive email updates, keep in mind that you'll receive a maximum of one email per day (as opposed to receiving an email every time we publish a new post). Furthermore, you'll only receive Behind the Plug blog updates. (If you'd like to receive updates about ACCCE initiatives and energy industry news, you can sign up for that here.)

If you use a feed reader to organize your news sites and blogs, the RSS (real simple syndication) feed is for you. Just click "Subscribe" to import our feed. Your reader (such as Google Reader) will display any new items when you log in.

Thanks for reading and participating in the clean coal conversation.

Congratulations, Barack Obama! Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/05/2008 08:52:22 AM

Dear Mr. President-Elect:

It’s been a long road to the White House, but now the real work begins — the task of rebuilding America’s economy.

As you made clear during your impressive campaign, you are committed to clean coal technology.

With the election finally behind us, we look forward to helping you keep that commitment.

America’s coal-based electricity providers stand ready to work with you to pioneer a new generation of advanced clean coal technologies that will capture and store carbon emissions.

We know your new administration will address one of the most pressing issues of our time — meeting America’s growing energy needs while addressing the climate change issue. So just remember: we’re here to help.

Carrying On the Clean Coal Conversation Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/04/2008 12:52:11 PM

While the election is in its final stretch, it's clear that the clean coal conversation is just getting started. Just take a look at the clean coal supporters at a Sunday rally for Sen. John McCain:

You can keep the clean coal conversation going by joining Americans for Balanced Energy Choices.

Clean Coal Stop: Colorado Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/04/2008 12:36:19 PM

The election may be winding down, but our street teams are still out in full force, spreading our commitment to clean coal.

Yesterday, the Colorado team visited the capitol where they visited the Colorado House of Representatives.

They also snapped a few photos at Gov. Sarah Palin's rally, where she and her husband Todd signed a few clean coal hats!

Candidates Support for Clean Coal Posted by Joe Lucas on 11/03/2008 01:56:32 PM

With one day left until the election, many of you are probably making your candidate lists and checking them twice.

We've done the same thing, and today released this statement. Take a look to learn where the candidates stand on clean coal—and why coal-based electricity is a vital part of American lives.